Unconscious Bias, Equity, and Challenges to Fair Assessment

Unconscious Bias, Equity, and Challenges to Fair Assessment

Level: Advanced.

We all think we treat everyone equally, but there’s an overwhelming amount of data that suggests this is not the case. A significiant barrier to a truly equitable society is unconscious bias, in which we continually make quick judgements on people and situations without even being aware of doing so. In this presentation, I will provide evidence for the pervasive existence of unconscious bias, and will explain how this produces unfair outcomes in the workplace for women, people of colour, and other marginalised groups. I’ll describe best practices that minimise and mitigate the effects of unconscious bias, in the context of a broad set of initiatives that can make our professions more equitable and inclusive.